An Endless Beach
by maiko22
Summary: What if Mai had accompanied Zuko on his quest to teach the Avatar firebending? Set after Day of Black Sun, Maiko, slight Kataang in later chapters
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I owned these guys, we would not be at any sort of computer. ;)

A/N- Beta-ed by Kimba616. Thank you! Reviews are most appreciated. Enjoy!

* * *

He knew his chances of escaping were slim. Even if Ozai brushed him off as being inane, he didn't know the tunnels as well as Azula. She was smart, cautious, she thought of everything. Knowing the way into those tunnels and, especially, how to escape them, could be crucial to one's survival. Azula knew this. Zuko, however, never imagined that a Prince would be left alone to meander his way out. Besides, what fool would ever enter the royal family's own safe haven with the intent to harm them. It would be suicide simply finding their way through, never mind the multiple guards. But Azula trusted no one. In her mind, any one of the family's protectors could be waiting for just the perfect moment to overturn the Fire Lord. _Yeah right_. 

Zuko almost turned back, more than once. Why was he even going to Ozai? For his consent? So he wouldn't _worry_? Perhaps it was this feeling that he must do what is right, in different aspects. Rescue Uncle Iroh, join the Avatar, teach him fire bending, warn Father that his son is switching sides…

And then there was Mai. She belonged to him now and he would lose her by leaving, that much he was sure of. Was it worth it? He didn't love her, he didn't know what love was, but there was something. Something inside of him was making him hesitate and that something was procuring Mai's face behind his lids every time he blinked.

That wasn't enough of a reason to say. He knew that what he needed to do was more important than his honor or a girl who had done something strange to his heart.

He strode quickly through the carefully carved tunnels, smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand. _Stop distracting yourself, you'll get yourself killed._

He was mad, a complete lunatic, that was surely going to perish at the hands of his father. But he didn't turn back.

* * *

Buildings and scenery were only blurs as Zuko sprinted past them, focusing only on his destination, getting out of the fire nation. Ozai wouldn't chase him, he knew, but he could take no chances. His best bet would be one of the flying balloons that the army stole from that inventor. No one would stand in the Prince's way of taking one. They didn't yet know of his intents. How long it would be before he was a rebel with a reward out, wanted dead of alive, he didn't know.

Zuko cut to the right, down an alley, altering his path slightly. His hair, messed from his fight with his father, whipped behind him as he pushed his legs to go faster, ignoring his straining muscles threatening to stiffen.

He was almost there, could see the tops of the red balloons, could almost feel the relief that would fill him once he was off fire nation ground. He was making good time until his foot caught on something, sending him sprawling forward. He slid across the rough stones that made up the street and landed on his back, a tumble that knocked the wind out of him. He didn't feel the pain that would soon turn to bruises and ignored a nasty scrape on his cheek. Looking back, there was nothing in the road that would have tripped him.

He stood as quickly as his aching muscles would allow and unsheathed a sword from the holder on his back.

"Who's there?"

He stood at attention, ready to attack whatever culprit had found him out and tried to stop him. There was shadow covering the small alley but Zuko was sure that he could see the edge of a cloak being rustled in the wind.

"I said who's there!"

Stepping forward, he raised his sword wielding hand, preparing to attack before they stepped out from the doorway that was shielding them from his sight.

"I thought you may come this way," a low pitched, smoky voice called to him.

"Mai," Zuko replied while sheathing his sword. "You shouldn't be here."

She took a step closer, revealing her hooded face to him.

"I live here," she said, "I'm not allowed in the streets?"

"No, you're not," Zuko replied, "You should be with the others, somewhere safe."

Mai shrugged and leaned her shoulder against the stone wall, regarding him closely. He wore a traveling cloak, his swords and a small pack.

"Going somewhere?"

Zuko looked away. This wasn't at all what he had planned. Mai was supposed to find out about his leaving with the rest of the fire nation, when Azula spread the word about her traitor brother living true to his reputation, of being a traitor. Or when she found his note, explaining why he needed to do this. There was never room for a confrontation, especially not after Ember Island and everything after then. But what was the point in lying to her now? Zuko's plans had changed.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to teach the Avatar fire bending so he can defeat my father and end this war," he stated bluntly, knowing that it sounded absolutely crazy.

Mai snorted and regarded him with a look of doubt.

"Right, because they'll just accept that you're not there to kill them and welcome you with open arms," she said dryly, holding out her arms for emphasis. "Great plan, Zuko."

"You don't understand," he started, "I have to do this."

He took a step closer to her, his insides hurting for pushing her away but angry that she was forcing this on him.

"You aren't supposed to be here," he continued, his voice growing more fierce, "I _have_ to do this and you have no say in anything…"

"Zuko, you're the only reason why I'm not bored all the time anymore," Mai interrupted. "You're the only thing I really care about and you're just going to take it away from me? Let me come with you."

She stood tall in front of him, forcing him to meet her eyes.

"Stop it," he yelled, turning from her. "You're only making this harder."

"You're not Prince anymore, Zuko," Mai replied with a small smirk. "If I decide to travel in the same direction as you, you can't stop me."

She stepped closer to him, leaving only inches between them. His face was crinkled in anger, eyes squinted and nose turned up, much like Azula would leave him when they were small children.

"Why are you doing this?" Zuko demanded, his voice strained with emotion he was failing to hide.

"I went to find you when the invasion began," Mai said, her face serious. "I wanted to make sure you were safe before I left with Ty Lee. You weren't in your room. It was a mess. Your swords were gone as well as most of your socks."

Zuko grimaced but Mai continued.

"I thought, why would Zuko need socks? Unless he was running, of course. And then I thought of how you owe me for not telling Azula that half of your socks were missing. I couldn't let you run off without being repaid."

"You can't come, Mai, it could be dangerous," Zuko said, his face only slightly relaxing.

"What, and you think I can't handle myself?" She replied, slipping out one of the many knives she kept hidden in her sleeves. There was a reason why Azula had wanted Mai on her little hunting team.

Zuko hated this. Mai didn't care about anything, he didn't have time for this. She wouldn't be anything but a hassle traveling with him. She would complain all the time and ask for shoulder rubs and sneer at what food he could get them. She would want to talk all the time and she would get in the way of his goal. She would make him seem less trusting to the Avatar.

But at the same time, as much as he tried to believe all those things as true, he knew differently. Mai did care for him, she'd made that much clear. Why would she leave everything and venture into the wild with a rebel prince? Unless she loved that rebel prince.

Zuko felt like his head was on the brink of exploding. She would be in so much danger. Ozai would have soldiers on the lookout for them. An image flashed through his mind of one of Mai's knives being turned on her. It stuck out of her gut and she choked, gasping for air. He snarled and pushed her out of his way, striding fast down the alley. She followed, he could hear her footsteps.

"You can't outrun me, Zuko, you never could," Mai said softly, letting the wind carry her words to him.

He turned, prepared to force her to turn back in whatever way he needed to.

"Listen, I'm…"

He was cut off by Mai's lips meeting his in a fierce kiss. She held him there with a hand on the back of his neck and slipped the other arm around his waist. Startled by her forwardness, he stood rigid for a moment. He touched her shoulders, ready to push her back but she only pulled him closer.

After only a moment, Mai broke the kiss but held her ground.

"Do you have to be so stubborn?" She asked lazily before pressing another, much softer kiss to his lips.

It was her turn to push him out of her way as she continued forward, toward the balloons. Zuko watched her walk away for just a moment.

_Fuck,_he thought to himself. At the very least, he wouldn't be alone. He followed her, jogging to catch up and pulled a bag he hadn't noticed before, off of her shoulder. For a second, he considered tossing it away in a last attempt to force her to stay. Instead, he slung it over his shoulder and took her hand.

"Why do you need so many socks, anyway?" Mai asked, slightly amused.

"Shut up," Zuko replied.

As they walked, he felt that relief that he was waiting for, only this time, it came a bit early.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: If these guys were mine, we wouldn't be on a computer at all.

A/N- This chapter has not been beta-ed. Technically, I think of it as unfinished, but good reviews have made me feel guilty for not posting something else. I hope this will be the only chapter that is so short. Please review! Enjoy!

* * *

"How do you steer this thing?" Zuko demanded angrily.

He stood in the center of the wicker basket, fiddling with the various knobs that adjusted the hot air flow. Mai crouched at his feet and peered through a small opening in the side. She watched the buildings grow smaller until it seemed like a civilization for beetle ants.

"I'm cold," she said in response.

"Take my cloak," Zuko spit through his frustration. These machines should be simple to operate, not impossible. And how the hell did it change directions? One of the buttons must control it.

"We're too high," Mai replied. "We should go lower."

"I can't go lower!" Zuko nearly shouted. "We're following the Avatar's flying beast. Besides, if we go lower, we'll hit trees unless I can figure out how to turn."

Mai sighed, "It's at the top or something."

"What? The top of the balloon? That's the stupidest thing…"

"No, the _top_ top, the top where you're standing."

"It's not!" Zuko said, entirely devoid of patience.

Mai stood using the side for balance and moved close to Zuko, examining the different switches. There was a large red knob with a button in the center. She took hold of it and pressed down on the button. The basket jerked, knocking them both off their feet as a loud explosion echoed, vibrating the surroundings.

"What… the shit was that?" Zuko demanded, trying to disentangle himself.

"Calm down, it was probably just a bomb or something," Mai said as she used Zuko's chest as leverage to push herself up again.

"A bomb! You set off a bomb?" Zuko said unbelieving with a slight smirk. There was a good sized patch of forest ablaze but they'd missed any houses, it seemed.

"God, there's a battle going on," Mai said lazily, "No one's going to notice a little stray balloon setting off bombs, going in the complete opposite direction."

The former prince glared at her affectionately before turning back to search for the directional. Mai joined him and reached for a lever sticking out at their waists. Noticing, Zuko grabbed her wrist and pulled it away.

"Let me handle this," He said, trying to push her back.

"Right, because you're doing such a great job of it," Mai said with a small smirk before grabbing the lever with her other hand and pulling it to the left. Zuko braced himself for some other sort of explosion but there was only a jerk as the basket tilted, the front turning to the right. Mai lost her footing and grabbed onto Zuko's arm to stop herself from falling.

He grabbed her around the waist and held her close while he tried to jam the lever back and straighten out the basket. It was challenging, holding onto Mai, keeping himself steady and pulling on a stubborn piece of metal that seemed to be cemented into place.

With a frustrated cry, he threw all of his weight backwards, bringing the lever with him. The basket evened out as Zuko was slammed onto his back with Mai falling on top of him. They were silent for a moment, catching lost breaths before Mai rested her head on his chest, her ear filling with the slam of his pounding heart.

"I figured out how to steer," she said.

"You almost got us killed," Zuko responded while wrapping his arms around her. There was a moment when he feared that she would go overboard and he felt… _something_ that surprised him. He was scared, for someone else, frightened that Mai would die and it would be his fault.

"Don't be overdramatic, Zuko, we've just set off," she replied while moving off of him. Zuko took hold of her shoulders, keeping her in her slightly raised position.

"I'm responsible for you out here, no matter what you say," he said seriously. "So don't do anything stupid."

Mai snorted as she moved to her feet.

"What could be more stupid than leaving my life of luxury to go off gallivanting with you and the Avatar?"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:Yeah, we would definetly not be on a computer if I owned Zuko, definetly not.

A/N- Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I hope this chapter is long enough. I wanted to post one as soon as possible, I hate waiting for unfinished stories to be updated. I know it's a little slow paced, if you couldn't tell by now, I'm a fan of details and junk, but I'm hoping to have it pick up next chapter. But even I never know what's going to happen. Enjoy!

* * *

"They're stopping," Zuko commented while adjusting the speed of their balloon. If the Avatar spotted them bearing a Fire Nation crest, they would alter course and try to lose the rebel prince which was exactly what Zuko did _not_ need.

"Why?" Mai asked, rising from her perch at the basket's bottom. "There's nothing around here."

They had been traveling for no more than half a day and Zuko knew from experience that Aang's bison could fly for hundreds of miles without stopping. Had they been spotted? He came up with several other possibilities for the reason, each one more far-fetched than the next.

"Maybe they're just tired?" Mai suggested while peering over Zuko's shoulder. Each second they were soaring closer and closer.

"Impossible," Zuko replied. He moved to stem the flow of hot air, bringing them to what seemed like a slow crawl. Looking around, he spotted what seemed to be a spyglass, something he hadn't noticed before. It only took a step to reach it's position on the side of the basket and Zuko peered through, twisting and elongating it's shape to see clearly.

"There's more than normal," he stated. "Maybe eight people or so."

"So the beast could be tired," Mai replied while moving closer and nudging him with her hip, hoping to take a look herself.

Zuko shifted and allowed Mai to look. She bent slightly at the waist, accommodating her height and pressed her eye to the opening. She murmured something but Zuko didn't hear what is was. He was watching her intently. Her face was tight on his side, her eye squeezed shut and her lips slightly parted. With her slanted position, he was able to locate the curves that were supposed to stay hidden under her cloak. She was supple and womanly, a fact he always knew but was rarely allowed to admire.

Her body shifted but Zuko's eyes didn't want to leave sight of her attractive physique, even when she straightened and turned to face him.

"Zuko," Mai said firmly, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"What?" He asked, finally meeting her face again.

"I said we should land for a while, we're moving too fast."

"Oh," Zuko replied, hearing her but not hearing at the same time. His eyes were glued to her face, to her long, shapely nose and high cheek bones.

He pulled her against him and let his hands travel up her back. She smelled dangerously intoxicating and Zuko wondered if she would always embody this scent, even when they've been traveling for weeks and sleeping on forest floors.

He inhaled a heavy dose of Mai before pressing his lips to hers, his arms only tightening around her. She smirked against his hungry mouth and traveled the length of his arms with only her fingertips. Murmuring his name, Mai was able to get Zuko to loosen his grip on her.

"Maybe we should set down first," she suggested. "You know, so they don't spot us or anything. We can land for a while and still be able to see them through the spyglass when we go back up."

"You're right," Zuko agreed. He reluctantly let go of his girlfriend to bring the balloon down onto the rocky ground. There weren't any extreme hills in the distance but Mai took one last look, to ensure that the _dream team _would stay in sight.

"We should be fine to stay here for a while, this thing works well," she commented as Zuko came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hoping to begin again where they left off.

Mai leaned back against his chest and silently marveled at how muscular it was. Despite their few months together, she still remembered, so well, Zuko as a small boy, usually upset over one of Azula's evil tricks. Mai thought they were amusing at the time, just playful fun, but years taught her differently.

Zuko pressed a slight kiss to her neck and she giggled girlishly, feeling ticklish.

"Is this what it's like," she asked quietly after a moment, "to be a rebel, to have no home?" He pulled her tighter and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Yes," he replied simply. "It's not easy and it probably never will be. But we have each other, that's what counts."

Mai laughed and reached back to poke him playfully in the side.

"Don't turn soft and corny on me," she said with amusement in her voice.

"No Mai, you don't understand," Zuko responded, speaking quietly against her ear. "You can never survive without someone to… love."

Zuko felt unsure about his wording. The 'L' word. It was too soon for that, much too soon, only it seemed appropriate. He paused, waiting for Mai to react, but she too stayed silent.

He was right, after all. Mai could easily survive by herself but she couldn't imagine doing it alone. Every now and then, she had to remind herself that she had just left everything and was traveling across the world with Zuko in a hot air balloon, chasing the damn Avatar. It was crazy but at this moment, with Zuko holding her and seemingly endless possibilities available to her, it seemed like the perfect thing to do. There were no restrictions for her now, no mother to set rules for her, no baby brother to steal all of the attention, no Azula bossing her around and sending her on ridiculous missions.

There were several moments of comfortable silence as the wind picked up and rustled their cloaks. Zuko's loose hair tickled Mai's neck as the air currents took control of it.

"I like your hair loose like that," Mai commented. "It's nice."

The word shooting around her brain was _sexy _but she didn't feel bold enough to utter it. She'd let go of most of her uptight ways with Zuko, allowing herself to loosen up the past month but there were still a few things that made her pause. She knew that Zuko wanted to sleep with her. Mai didn't blame him, he had been banished for three years with very little female interaction, that she knew of. He was seventeen years old and, as far as she knew, a virgin. She almost felt sorry for him but there was something holding her back. She wasn't ready. She could barely even talk about it without blanching. It just wasn't time yet.

"Well, I like _your_ hair loose," Zuko replied before pulling on the two ribbons that each set half of her hair in place, tugging on them until they relented and broke free, leaving Mai's hair to flow free down past her shoulders, brushing against Zuko's face in the process. He inhaled deeply, filling himself with her scent.

Mai grinned at his persistence. It had been a very long time since she had let her tresses hang freely. But this was a new life, why not try something new?

"Can we get out of this thing?" she asked while turning to face her swain. "I want to stretch my legs."

Before Zuko could reply, Mai gave him a slight smile before hopping over the edge and landing gracefully on the ground. He followed suite and tackled her zestfully to the ground, tickling her sides as they rolled, each trying to gain the top, victorious position. Mai squealed with delight at his invading fingers and desperately tried to multitask, getting Zuko away from her ticklish spots and defeating him in their playful scrap.

She managed to cease the tickling but only by relenting to Zuko her wrists as he pinned them over her head and stared down at her devilishly.

"I win," he stated firmly. "You shall never beat a prince in such a match as…"

But he wasn't able to finish as Mai used her lower body to tilt him and swing herself on top of him. With her hands still bound my him, her body was supported solely by his chest and she felt it rising and falling as he caught his breath.

"You were saying?"

Zuko grinned at her before raising his head off the ground to meet her lips in a kiss. When he couldn't hold his neck up any longer, they broke apart, his think tank resting back onto the dirt and Mai's against his chest, evident of much training and physical activity but despite that, she found it comfortable, if only because it was Zuko, her Zuko, that she was using as a pillow..

"I told you that you couldn't outrun me," Mai said with a hint of laughter in your voice. "You can't outwrestle me either."

Zuko grunted in defeat, figuring it easier to not argue with her. At the very least, less exhausting.

* * *

She dreamt of a great stone pressing down on her chest, threatening to suffocate the life out of her. It felt so real and she gasped as she awoke. Mai was dreaming but it _was_ only too real. She was laying on the ground with a rock digging into her back and Zuko's head planted firmly between her breasts. She paused, unsure what to do. It was the most compromising situation, one that would be twice as awkward were Zuko to wake up and find himself so.

The most pressing thought was that it was dusk and there was a good chance that they had lost the Avatar in their carelessness.

Deciding, Mai quickly screamed and rose up very quickly, hoping to wake Zuko and shift him enough so that he wouldn't realize that he had been using very dirty pillows indeed.

"Wha…" Zuko slurred. He blinked a few times and looked up at Mai.

"You screamed," she said convincingly. "Have a bad dream?"

When in fact, Zuko was having a very lovely dream but that was entirely besides the point.

"The Avatar!" he yelled while standing quickly and tugging Mai back into the balloon. He sliced the makeshift rope anchor with a broadsword before adjusting the hot air and searching through the spy glass.

_Well that worked out nicely, _Mai thought to herself, a small smile playing at her lips.

Zuko frantically searched in all directions for sight of the bison, not leaving out any bit of the sky, but found nothing.

"They're gone!" he cried, covering his face with his hands.

Mai stayed silent, not wanting to aid to an ever-so-close Zuko freak out._A Zuk-out, _she thought to herself with a small grin.

"But wait," Zuko continued, talking more to himself than to her. "The sun isn't that much lower than it was when we set down. They can't be far. We should be able to see them!"

"Zuko, we'll find them," Mai said softly, hoping to calm him down. She moved to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently. "This balloon is fast, even if they did fly, we can catch up."

Zuko closed his eyes and focused on Mai's touch for a moment.

"You're right," he said, opening his lids. He looked around at his surroundings and stood very still for a moment.

"Mai."

"Zuko," she replied. He stayed silent for a moment longer, taking in their surroundings.

"I know where we are."

Mai was silent for another moment.

"You know where we are but you didn't five minutes ago?"

Zuko turned to face her and lifted her into his arms, bringing her around in a twirl.

"They're at the Western Air Temple. That's why we can't see them."

Mai was confused but said nothing, trusting him. We're air temples high? In the air, usually?

* * *

They continued on for no more than a half an hour before Zuko brought them down.

"There's nothing here, Zuko," Mai puzzled.

"There is," he responded. "I've been here before, with Uncle Iroh."

Zuko frowned at the thought, remembering back to only hours before when he attempted to rescue his uncle. He had no idea where Iroh had gone and hoped to find him, but there were more important things at hand. And he had Mai, something he wasn't counting on.

Zuko led Mai through the air temples, not allowing her time to marvel at anything. They hid when any shadow seemed bison-ish and made camp in a nearby forest.

"I need to figure out what I'm going to say," Zuko started once they were settled and had a fire going.

Mai perched on a fallen tree root and watched him.

"Practice on me," she suggested.

"Hey," Zuko started. "Zuko here, but you already know that."

He put a self conscious hand to his hair and ruffled it a bit. He was nervous and he wasn't even in front of Aang yet. They went through many different possibilities and scenarios that usually ended up with Mai falling over in laughter which only aggravated Zuko.

"I'm sorry," she gasped in between breaths, "that was just too great."

"Forget it," Zuko snapped. "I'm just going to go over there and say whatever I need to say."

Mai sobered and stood up before walking to him and placing a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said comfortingly. "You'll do great. I believe in you."

"I know you do," Zuko replied before turning to press a kiss to her lips. "I'm going to go now, you should stay here."

Mai laughed, believing him to be joking. She began to brush dirt and other forest debris off her cloak so she would look presentable.

"I'm serious, Mai, you need to stay here," Zuko insisted when he realized her intents.

"What?" she asked, surprised. "You'll just go and get them to trust you then say, by the way, my girlfriend Mai is here too, you know, the one who was with Azula wreaking havoc on the world?"

"Don't be like that," Zuko began, "I'll get them to trust you too. They'll understand, I hope. Why would you leave your life and come out here if you weren't trustworthy?"

"Let me come," Mai pleaded, "you need me."

She felt like she was repeating herself again, that she was in the same scenario as earlier when she was nearly begging Zuko to take her with him at all..

"Mai," he replied somberly, "it'll be enough of a shock for them with just me there, two Fire Nation citizens would be too much, I think."

Grudgingly, she nodded. She hated being left behind but trusted Zuko.

He hugged her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"What shall I do while you're gone?" she asked mischievously, "properly fold all your socks?"

Zuko grimaced at her smirk. "Protecting your feet is important, you shouldn't joke," he responded.

"You're just embarrassed," Mai teased before kissing his cheek. "I know what the Prince's biggest quirk is."

"I'll return soon," Zuko said as he walked out of camp, hiding his red, embarrassed cheeks.

* * *

A/N- Next chapter, we see the gAang, things heat up a bit, and a there will be a fight. Not giving anything else away, mainly because I don't much know yet what's going to happen, myself! Please review! Thanks for reading. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I wouldn't even watch tv or listen to music if I owned Zuko.

A/N- Sorry this took so long to come out. I discovered the Jonas Brothers (who, by the way, have some of the worst fan fiction that I've ever read) and became quite distracted by them. So, the very last scene here is the first part I wrote for this chapter (it came to me in a dream) and so, I did everything I could (aka I rushed) to get to the point where that scene would fit so I could get this chapter out. I promise more confrontation with the GAang next chapter, especially some Katara/Mai time. Thanks everyone for your fantastic reviews! P.S.- Please excuse my 'battle' scene, I just can't write them.

* * *

There was no way Zuko could have snuck up on Mai as she was properly folding his scarce belongings properly into his pack. He was trudging and swearing to himself the whole way, not bothering to keep any sort of quiet. 

She stood, turning toward Zuko's din and waited for him to emerge into the clearing. The fact that the noise only grew louder and more clearer to her with his every step tempted a smile on her lips but she knew better to conceal it.

Zuko, normally a master of stealth, crashed out of the clingy branches and stalked straight forward until he stood directly in front of his companion. There was a moment of silence, Mai effortlessly keeping her face stony and unreadable. The outcome of Zuko's confrontation was obvious, but some things were best left to reveal themselves with time.

"I'm so stupid," Zuko said in a mix of rage and defeat. "I'm such an idiot, I said all the wrong things."

He turned to pace back and force, often throwing his arms up in the air and continued the same rant that was apparent all the way through the woods.

"How could I just assume that they would accept me? I thought it would be so easy, I thought they would be able to tell, I'm not lying! I'm not working for Azula!"

"Zuko," Mai tried, "Calm down, they probably just need time to think everything over."

"You didn't see it, Mai," he replied without much patience, "they were pissed that I showed up, _pissed_."

"Then you just said the wrong thing," Mai responded, "we'll practice some more and you can try again."

"I know I said the wrong thing, that much is obvious," Zuko snapped back at her. "If you hadn't been laughing at me and making me feel like… like someone who has no hope whatsoever, then maybe it would have went better!"

She stared at him, her face as blank as a sheet. His words hurt her but she wouldn't let him see. It was true that she was doing her best to show her emotions in front of Zuko, give him an idea of what she was thinking, but it was also true that she was doing her best to not slip a dart of two out of her sleeve and teach him a lesson for speaking to her in such a way.

He stomped around the fire and sat down heavily on a tree stump, letting his head fall into his hands. Shaking her head, Mai turned her back to him and ducked under the makeshift tent they'd created between a few trees. She kneeled and pulled her pack to her, trying to make it seem like she was doing something. If she was a very different person, there would be tears threatening to spill down her cheeks but Mai wouldn't allow that. To cry is to be weak and Mai was many things, but never weak.

* * *

Zuko sat on that same stump, stayed in the same bent over position and thought about the same things for an immeasurable amount of time. 

He had gone so far as to offer himself as a prisoner, were that the only way to be accepted by the Avatar. He knew his destiny and it was being denied to him by a twelve year old. What could he possibly do to gain their trust?

And Mai, he had been too harsh on her. He was so angry that she didn't understand what he had just been through but forced himself to remember what she was giving up for him. She didn't have to be there, but she had made a choice, one that Zuko was terrified of her regretting.

He couldn't do anything about Aang at this moment, but Mai, he had to do something about this rift that he had created. He spent the better part of two hours thinking of the best approach to fix it.

When he had decided on the proper method and allotted himself twenty more minutes to build up some courage, he stood, pausing to kick a few kinks out of his legs, and made his way over to the pretend tent thing. Zuko ducked underneath and paused for another moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

It was the soft, steady breathing that told him Mai was sleeping which ruined everything, of course. Would waking her up only make it worse? But how could she sleep at a time like this? You must be somewhat at peace to drift into slumber and Zuko knew that he was far from any such calm. Mai, it seemed, was not.

Tentatively, he reached a hand to touch her shoulder, looking for her to automatically slap it away as she surely would do if she was awake. But no, Mai was definitely sleeping.

He flopped down on his back next to her for another thought session. The process was sluggish as various tangents persisted to throw him off. Where was Uncle Iroh? How had he broken out of the cell by himself? It was next to impossible, but Zuko saw the damage for himself. Was Azula already planning to hunt them down, or had she given up, leaving her brother and her former friend to banishment and a life of nothing?

Mai stirred, and rolled back onto Zuko's arm, trapping it beneath her body. He was about to panic, knowing that he would have to wake her up or risk a non-circulated limb, when he heard a twig snap. It was coming from the other side of the fire and sounded more like a footstep than anything else.

There it was again, and Azula's face flashed in his mind.

"Who's there?" He demanded loudly. Mai woke and sat up next to him, instinctively sliding knives out of her sleeves.

"What is it?" she whispered but Zuko was already on the move. He crawled forward as quiet as he could and repeated his question with more vigor. Whoever was there moved forward still and fearing for their safety, Zuko used the already burning fire to throw flames toward the intruder.

"No, Zuko, it's me!" He heard her call, the blind earth bender.

Shocked and furious that he had reacted too soon, he dashed from the tent towards her.

"I'm so sorry," he began.

"You burned my feet!" she screamed at him before crawling away, dodging his attempts to help her.

Zuko wailed in frustration as Toph disappeared through the brush.

Mai moved quickly to wrap herself in his arms, forcing him to show her affection and let out his anger in a different way.

"I'll go with you," she said softly. "We can go now and make things better."

Zuko, seeing no alternative, nodded solemnly

"I'm sorry, Mai," he began, unsure how she still felt about earlier.

She put a finger to his lips to stop him. That was the past and there were more important things happening just then. With a quick kiss, she moved from him to pack their scarce belongings. With any luck, they wouldn't be returning.

* * *

Mai noticed the commotion before Zuko did. It sounded like bombs were going off, blasting apart rocks. She hurried toward the noise, Zuko trailing her closely. There was a man, blowing things up, causing destruction far greater than any normal fire bender could. 

"No," Zuko murmured when he recognized the attacker. "I sent him to kill the Avatar, before I realized…"

He was cut off by a close blast that sent them sprawling on their backs. Without another thought, Mai flung a knife, hitting the strange man in the shoulder. He turned to face them, and took a deep breath.

"The forehead," Zuko advised, "quick!"

Wasting no time, Mai moved once again, hitting her target dead on, as she usually did. Zuko pulled her down, doing his best to shield them both as a final explosion erupted around them.

When they looked up, there was no sight of the assassin but instead, they were surrounded by the very people they had been waiting to accompany.

"Thanks, I guess," Aang started before Katara cut him off.

"What are _you _doing here?" she demanded.

"Oh, you know, just hanging out," Mai responded dryly.

Zuko touched her arm, hoping to make it clear that this was a delicate situation.

"Do you see now?" he asked. "I mean you no harm and neither does Mai."

"Why is she here?" Katara said icily. "What contributions could she possibly have?"

_At least she didn't think the same about me, _Zuko thought to himself. But Katara did realize that they had need for Zuko, mostly thanks to Toph's reason. Not that she would admit it, of course.

The six of them, including Toph and Sokka, debated for several minutes before all agreed to allow Zuko and Mai to stay. Granted, Katara did so quite grudgingly and none of them would look Mai in the eye. Still, Zuko felt relieved. He didn't flinch when Katara threatened his life and wasn't bothered that all of them seemed to keep some sort of weapon very close by. He was about to fulfill his destiny.

* * *

Zuko stretched out next to Mai on their make-shift bed, deep inside the Western Air Temple. Katara had purposely stationed them as far away from Aang as possible but it didn't bother them. 

Exhausted, Mai curled on her side and pulled the blanket high up on her shoulder, appreciating the warmth it procured as well as the heat pressing into her back, in the form of Zuko.

"Mai," he whispered while running a hand down her arm and onto her hip. She grunted, wondering if she would have to turn to drastic measures to get some sleep. It had been a long day and it was not the night to stay awake for hours upon end.

Zuko hands continued to roam, moving to her stomach and back up her side. With a small sigh, Mai shifted to face her daring boyfriend and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips which he returned with fervor, desperately trying to intensify it. He moved to meet his hands with hers and laced their fingers together before Mai moved on top of him. She was tired but it was awfully lovely _being_ loved by someone.

Sneakily, Mai coerced Zuko's arms over his head and distracted him with her tongue. He didn't notice the small smirk on her lips before she pulled away and rolled off of him, leaving her head to rest against his shoulder.

"Mai," Zuko began, confused. "Mai, I'm stuck."

"I know," she replied sleepily. "I knifed you to the headboard."

"You sleep with knives?" Zuko asked while trying to pull his sleeves free from their imprisonment. Alternatively, he attempted to grasp the handles to force them out but Mai was too smart for that and Zuko failed at releasing himself.

"We're rebels now, who knows what will happen," Mai stated with sleepy laughter in her voice. "Besides, I need to sleep _some_ time."

She was quiet and was disturbed only by Zuko's slight jostles as he tried to free his restraint.

"Mai," he said, beginning to get frustrated. "I'll let you sleep, I promise."

"Of course…" Mai started, a yawn evident in her voice, "you will, I'll sleep just fine."

"You're infuriating."

"Goodnight Zuko."

* * *

A/N- Thanks for reading! Please review and I guarantee the next chapter as soon as humanly possible for a college student with selfish friends who don't like to let me get away. Edit: I have no given up on this, I've just been incredibly busy! I promise another chapter is coming:D 


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